Closure member



NW. 5, 5940.. ,c. LQBROWN, JR 2,220,060

CLOSURE MEMBER Filed May 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 1940- c. 1... BROWN, JR 2,229,369

cLospRE MEMBER' Filed May 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1040 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

I CLOSURE MEMBER Charles L. Brown, Jr., Stamford, Com, assignor to Electrolux Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation oi Delaware Application May 19, 1939} Serial No. 214,566

Claims.

Other and further objects will appear as the description of my improved closure member progresses.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner,

broken away in part,'incorporating my improved closure member;

Fig. 2 is an end viewof the vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 3, is atop view of the closure member with the cover removed connected to the vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the closure member and the adjacent portion of the vacuum cleaner, with the closure member in 'a looking position; and

a Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig.4, with the locking mechanism in the inoperative position. C

Referring to the drawings, l0 indicates a vacuum cleaner casing in which is housed a dust separating member II, and an electric motor l2 driving a multistage centrifugal fan l3. A closure member I4 is connected to one end of the casing and is provided with an inlet opening |5 in which a flexible hose I3 is connected. Hose 0 i6 is connected to a cleaning tool l1 with aninterposed substantially rigid tubular member l3.

In the normal operation of the vacuum cleaner, the motor through. the opening I3, and exhausts the air through an opening M at the opposite end of the 'casing I0. Closure member M is provided for permitting the removal of the dust separating member periodically, for emptying the dustcollected therein. Dust separating, member I is provided with a ring 20 having an outwardly extending flange 2| covered by a flexible gasket 22. Flange 2| and gasket' 22 reston a seat 23 provided around an opening 24 in casing l0; Open- 1 ing 24 is located in a plane at a considerable angle 55 to the vertical. The dust separating member H I2 drives the fan I3 and draws air I is supported in opening 24 with its mouth opening upwardly.

A locking mechanism 25 is provided for looking the closure member to the casing I0. Lbcking mechanism 23 includes three pivoted arms 23, 21, and 23. Ann 23 is pivotally connected to rod -23 by means of a pivot pin 30. Arms 21 and 23 are formed integrally and pivoted to the rod 23, also by the pivot pin 30. At its outer end, rod

23 is provided with a handle 3|; Closure mem- 1o ber i4 is provided with a back plate 32 in the form of a casting. Plate 32 is provided with a central recess 33 in which the rod 23 is received. A passage 34 communicating with opening i5 is provided by a conduit 35 formed integrally with the 15 plate 32. Conduit 35 communicatesat its inner end through opening 33 with the interior of the dust separating member ll. Movement of arm 23 from an inoperative to a locking position is guided by spaced posts 31, projecting upwardly 20 iromplate 32. Movement of-ar'ms 21 and 23 is guided by two projections 33 and 33, engaging respectively arm 21 and arm 23. Projections 33 and 33 are formed integrally with the plate 32.

Arms 23, 21, and 23 are biased downwardly toward 25 plate 32 by spring 40.

Casing I0 is provided with a plurality of bosses 4| in the form of hooked projections extending through openings 42 in plate 32. Bosses 4| are provided for cooperation with each of the arms 30 23, 21, and 23. The arms are held in looking engagement with the bosses 4| by leaf springs 43 in the form of plates, secured to the back plate 32 by means of screws 44. To move the locking mechanism 25 from the locking position of Fig. 4 35 to an imperative position, the handle 3| is grasped and moved away from the closure member l4 in a direction normal to the plane of opening 24, As the rod is moved in this direction, arms", 21, and 23 move inwardly from engagement with the o bosses 4| pivoting on pivot pin 30. Outward movement of the rod 23 is stopped by engagement oi a pin 43 with the cover 46. The closure member l4 may then be removed from the casing 0 by a continued movement of the handle 3| in a direction normal to the plane of opening 24. When the closure member I4 is replaced on the casing III, the closure member may be locked thereto by pressure applied on the handle 3| in the direction in which the closure member is moved in placing 50 it on the casing l0. As the rod 23 moves inwardly into the recess 33, the arms 23, ,21, and 23 move outwardly, guided by the-posts 31 and projections 33 and 33, into engagement with the bosses 4|. The springs 43 hold the arms in tight engagement with the latching members. When the handle is in the fully closed position, the arms 26, 21, and 28' extend outwardly perpendicular to the axis of the rod 29. In this position, there is no tendency for the arms to be accidentally moved from engagement with the latching members 4!.

In the assembly of the closure member M, the springs 43 are secured to the plate 32. The rod 29 is inserted in the recess 33 and the arms 26, 21, and 28 secured thereto by the pivot pin 30. The spring 40 is inserted over the ends of pin 30 with its ends engaging arm 26 and the com-' bined arms 21 and 28. The cover 46 is then placed over the plate 32 and secured thereto. The handle 31 is secured to the end of rod 29. The assembly of the closure member is then complete.

In the operation of the vacuum'cleaner, the casing I is usually located centrally of the area being cleaned. As the cleaning tool I! traverses the surface around the casing II), it may be found desirable to clean a surface that cannot be reached from the position of casing l0. Casing I0 is then moved by a pull on the flexible hose IS. The force of the pull necessary to move casing I0 is transmitted through the closure memher It. Since the inlet opening l5.is in a vertical plane and the casing l0 rests on a horizontal surface, the force transmitted is in a horizontal direction. The plane of opening 24 is oblique to [the plane of inlet opening l and there is no .tendency for a force transmitted through the closure member I4 to release the locking mechanism 25. Release of the locking mechanism 25 requires a force in a direction normal to the plane of opening 24 which is oblique to the horizontal direction of the force utilized in moving the casing Ill. The two arms 26 and 21 located closely adjacent to and at each side of the opening l5 prevent any tendency of movement of the closure member I 4 in a horizontal direction away from the casing H). The radial spacing of arms 21 and 28 is less than the spacing of arm 28 from arms 21 and 28. The unequal spacing of arms 26, 21, and 28, in addition to reinforcing the closure member l4 at the point of application of the force for moving casing ID, has the further advantage of accommodating itself to the necessarily elongated shape of the closure member I l,

. as a result of its location at an angle to the horiparallel to the axis of the casing, radially spaced arms secured to said closure member and located at each side of the opening of said closure member, a third arm spaced radially midway between said first-mentioned arms, bosses extending outwardly from said casing around said casing opening entering openings in said closure member, a

rod carried by said closure member movable in a direction normal to the plane of the opening of said casing, and means pivotally connecting said arms to said -rod,,whereby movement of said rod inwardly toward said closure member causes said arms to move outwardly into engagement with said bosses to lock said closure member to said casing.

2. A closure member including a plate having a central recess, a rod received in said recess and adapted to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said plate, a handle connected to one end of said rod for reciprocating said rod, a plurality of radially spaced arms pivotally connected to said rod, spring means engaging said having a plurality of boss receiving openings; I

and a plurality of spring means secured adjacent to said boss receiving openings, said arms moving outwardly to engagement with said boss receiving openings upon movement of said rod in one direction and. held in locking engagement with the bosses by said last-named spring means- 3. A closure member including a plate having a central recess, a rod received in said recess and adapted to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said plate, a handle connected to one end of said rod for reciprocating said rod in .the direction of its axis, a plurality of radially spaced arms pivotally connected to said rod, spring means engaging said arms urging them toward said plate, said plate having a plurality of boss receiving openings, a plurality of spring mem- Wardly to a locking position with said bosses upon movement of said rod in one direction.

4. A locking mechanism for a closure member including a rod reciprocable from a latching to an unlatching position, aplurality of radially spaced arms, means pivotally connecting said arms to said-rod, spring means biasing said arms to rotation on said pivot means, and a second spring means holding said arms in latching position against the bias of said first-named spring means.

5. A closure member including a plate having a central recess, a rod received in said recess and adapted to move in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said plate, a handle connected to one end of said rod for reciprocating said rod in the direction of its axis, two radially spaced arms integrally connected and pivotally secured to said rod, a third arm radially spaced from said firstmentioned arms and pivotally secured to said rod, said plate having a plurality of boss receiving openings, and a plurality of spring members secured adjacent to said boss receiving openings and adapted to secure said arms in locking position upon engagement with said bosses.

. CHARLES L. BROWN, JR. 

